The present invention relates to hand tools for driving fasteners or hex head screws into work pieces, and more particularly, to a cleanable reversible socket and driver tool combination.
Hex head screws may be self-tapping and are commonly used in sheet metal, and metal and plastic part assemblies to secure pieces together. Often many screws are used at one time. Socket drivers have traditionally been used to drive the screws into the work piece. Socket drivers may be of a one piece construction requiring multiple drivers when different sized hex head screws are used. Ratchet drivers have also been used to drive hex head screws into work pieces. Sockets mounted on shanks that can be fastened into a chuck of a handle held, battery operated drill are also commonly used. Hex head bolts are also commonly used with threaded holes, nuts and/or self-locking nuts in assembly work and also require some form socket driver.
Because it is common to drive many hex screws in one operation, speeding up the assembly process has been desirable. Magnets have placed into the sockets or the driver/socket combination has been magnetized to hold the screws in the socket. The operator simply places a hex head screw into the socket and the magnetism holds the screw in place just prior to and during driving of the screw into the work piece. Expectedly, screw shavings and metal waste are commonly associated with the driving process, especially with shelf-tapping screws. The magnet or magnetized socket literally sucks up and holds the shavings till the socket eventually become plugged and the hex head will not properly fit into the socket requiring that the screwing operation be stopped and the socket must be suitably cleaned such as with an air compressor to blow the shavings and metal debris out of and away from the socket cavity.
There is a need for a cleanable reversible socket and driver tool that permits easy cleaning of the socket of metal debris and that the socket is reversible to permit presentation of another sized socket without actually changing of the currently used socket.